Prince Harry secretly returned to the UK, but ‘kept his distance’ from Prince William at uncle’s funeral

A secret return to their home country has reportedly “reunited” Prince Harry with his estranged brother, Prince William. Harry was in the UK for the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes.

According to the British publication The Independent, the Duke of Sussex has returned to Britain after nearly 40 months. The last time the two brothers were publicly seen together was at the coronation of their father, King Charles, in May last year.

However, reports have claimed that Prince Harry sat at a distance from the heir to the throne at Lord Robert Fellowes’s service in Norfolk. They “kept their distance” and “sat apart at the back of St Mary’s Church after arriving very discreetly,” according to The Independent.

The Sun, citing a source said the brothers have been "discreet" with one another. While another attendee told The Sun that they "never saw them speak to each other and they kept their distance.”

Lord Fellowes passed away on July 29 at the age of 82. He was the husband of Princess Diana's elder sister and served as Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary for several years.

The relationship between the Royal siblings deteriorated when Harry stepped down as a working royal in 2020. The Duke of Sussex had made a series of damning revelations about his family to the press.

In a 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry claimed that his older brother physically attacked him when they got into an argument about Meghan Markle.

A September reunion?

According to media reports, Prince Harry has plans to visit New York City in September. During his solo trip, the Duke of Sussex will focus on his charitable activities. However, his visit coincides with when his brother, Prince William, is expected to be in Manhattan, possibly for an environmental event.

Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, won’t accompany him on the trip.

Harry’s trip will coincide with the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week, which will take place from September 22 to 29. While William is likely to attend the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit at The Plaza Hotel on September 24.